The invention relates in general to vehicle wheels and in particular to a method for depositing a layer of material upon a portion of a wheel surface with a thermal spray gun.
Vehicle wheels include an annular wheel rim which is adapted to carry a pneumatic tire. The wheel rim includes an outboard tire bead retaining flange which extends radially outward from the outboard end of the wheel rim to retain the tire upon the wheel. An outboard tire bead seat is formed adjacent to the outboard tire bead retaining flange. The outboard tire bead seat is adapted to carry the outboard tire bead. The outboard tire bead seat is connected by a radial drop well wall to a recessed annular drop well. The drop well facilitates mounting a tire upon the wheel. An annular leg portion connects the drop well to an inboard tire bead seat, which is adapted to carry the inboard tire bead. The inboard end of the wheel rim is formed as an inboard tire bead retaining flange which extends radially outward from the wheel rim to retain the tire upon the wheel.
A circular wheel disc is typically formed across an end of the wheel rim. Alternatively, the wheel disc can be recessed within the wheel rim. The wheel disc includes a wheel hub having a central pilot hole and a plurality of wheel lug holes formed therethrough for mounting the wheel upon a vehicle. The outboard ends of the wheel stud holes are typically counterbored to receive the ends of the wheel retaining nuts. When a wheel is mounted upon a vehicle, the inboard surface of the hub typically contacts a wheel hub. To assure good contact and support between the wheel and the wheel hub, the inboard hub surface is typically faces to form a smooth surface. A plurality of wheel spokes connect the wheel hub to the wheel rim. The wheel spokes support the weight of the vehicle and are designed accordingly.
In the past, vehicle wheels have been fabricated by attaching a stamped steel wheel disc to a rolled steel wheel rim. Also in the past, vehicle wheels have been cast from molten steel alloys or forged from steel alloy billets. Increasingly, vehicle wheels are being formed from light weight metals, such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium, or alloys thereof. Such light weight wheels can be formed with the wheel disc having a pleasing aesthetic shape. The wheel disc outer surface is typically machined to form a smooth surface which can be subsequently finished with a decorative high luster. It is known to form light weight wheels from a one-piece casting or forging. Alternately, light weight wheels can be assembled by attaching a wheel disc to a wheel rim or a full faced wheel disk to a partial wheel rim.